I agree that misogyny played a huge role — that's been well documented in the Casey Report and others. The way police and social workers dismissed these girls as making “lifestyle choices” was appalling and clearly rooted in deep institutional sexism.
But we also can’t ignore what the Jay Report (2014) and the Casey Review of Rotherham Council (2015) made explicitly clear: in cases like Rotherham, Rochdale, and Telford, a significant number of perpetrators were from Pakistani Muslim backgrounds, and cultural and ethnic dynamics absolutely shaped how the abuse played out — and how institutions failed to respond.
The Jay Report found that over 1,400 girls were abused in Rotherham alone, with many of the offenders being British Pakistani men. It also noted that authorities repeatedly failed to act, in part because they were afraid of being accused of racism. The Casey Review backed this up, describing a culture of cover-up and denial, where officials avoided addressing the ethnic aspect even when it was clearly relevant.
Authorities were reluctant to act or speak up because they feared being seen as racist. That fear directly contributed to the abuse continuing unchecked. So while misogyny was a core issue, political sensitivity around race and culture was not just “a factor” — it was central to the institutional paralysis.
This doesn’t mean painting whole communities with the same brush — most people in those communities were not involved and were horrified. But brushing over the ethnic and cultural aspect completely is also wrong. It’s possible — and necessary — to confront both truths: that this was about misogyny, and that cultural taboos, community silence, and institutional fear of racism accusations all played a role.
If we want real justice and real reform, we need to face the full picture, not just the parts that fit a preferred narrative.